The old days of saying "this is how it has always been done" are and should be over. Although some of those tested methods for caring for a particular problem will continue to be the standard, it is our responsibility to carefully look at what we do and whether newer methods are more advantageous. Reevaluation of the care we provide is necessary to be sure that what we are doing is what we should be doing. Increasing regulatory agencies and the public are looking for the rationale for how care decisions are being made.
In 2009, the Assistant Secretary of Health developed the Office of Healthcare Quality within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services with a mission of "advancing the quality of public health and healthcare services for a healthier nation" (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2012) Quality programs have been introduced in every area of healthcare including the Physician Quality Reporting System; the various programs developed by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality that include Prevention Quality Indicators, Inpatient Quality Indicators, Patient Safety Indicators and Pediatric Quality Indicators; Quality and Safety Education for Nurses to name just a few. Quality outcomes will drive changes in healthcare in the years to come.
The editorial board of Orthopaedic Nursing met in the spring and strategized on ways that would help NAON's members validate and/or change their practice to improve quality care. In 2013, we will be presenting a series of articles on understanding evidence-based practice and the methods used to evaluate the evidence for practice. In this issue, Dr. Susan Salmond's article, Finding theEvidence to Support Evidence-Based Practice (page 15) will help readers understand the process for discerning the literature. Ensuing articles will explain the different methods for evaluating the literature.
In addition, we will begin the Cochrane Corner in 2013. In cooperation with The Nursing Care Field of the Cochrane Collaboration, a regular column will be published in Orthopaedic Nursing. This is an excellent opportunity for NAON's members to review material on topics that are important to orthopaedic nursing practice.
The goal of the editorial board is to provide each and every reader of Orthopaedic Nursing the information needed to provide excellent nursing care. Please let us know if you have specific needs by e-mailing [email protected].
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